The Game is Rigged

Did any of you see this? FIFA needed both France and Portugal in this summer's World Cup, and both were facing playoff games after failing to qualify in the group stages. It would be a commercial disaster if either the former or the latter (which features the best player in the world at the moment) did not qualify. FIFA even seeded the playoffs based on world rankings rather than what happened in the group stages. What happened in Paris, then, last night? Let's just say that if I were Irish, I would be livid. Watch Thierry Henry's left hand.

Update: Judah was surprised I did not mention that the president of UEFA is Michel Platini. Scandal aside, Platini ... what a genius. Probably this blog's second-favorite French footballer. You already know this blog's all-time favorite. And watch this pass to Denis Irwin as a reminder of better days in Franco-Irish relations.